Article Of Footwear For Proprioceptive Training

ABSTRACT

A method of proprioceptive training using an article of athletic equipment having an article of footwear, a knee coupling member, and a biasing member is disclosed. The method includes securing the article of footwear to a foot and securing the knee coupling member to a leg superiorly and inferiorly about a knee joint thereof. Moreover, the method includes biasing the article of footwear relative to the knee coupling member using the biasing member to bias the foot toward plantarflexion relative to the leg to increase proprioception of the foot relative to the leg.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of co-pending application Ser. No.12/986,583, filed Jan. 7, 2011, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an article of footwear and, moreparticularly, relates to an article of footwear for proprioceptivetraining.

BACKGROUND

Proprioception is a conscious or unconscious awareness of a body part'sposition relative to another. Proprioception enables a person to movetheir body in a desired manner.

Learning a new skill, sport, or other activity can often includeimproving proprioception. For instance, as a person learns to play theguitar, the student improves proprioception of the relative position ofthe fingers. As an illustration, the guitar student learns to playtypically while looking at his or her hands and slowly positioning thefingers to play the desired chords. However, as proprioception improves,fingering becomes easier and the student may eventually be able to playwithout looking at his or her hands.

Sports training can also include improvements to an athlete'sproprioception. For instance, a soccer player can practice trapping,passing, juggling and other skills to improve proprioception of the feetand legs. Such training can improve the player's abilities, making theplayer's movements quicker, more fluid, and generally more effective.

Moreover, it has been shown that a runner's performance (acceleration,etc.) can be improved by increasing plantarflexion of the feet(increasing the angle of the foot away from the shin) during the runningstride. In some cases, a runner can train themselves to increaseplantarflexion by trying to consciously run with their weight shiftedforward and/or attempt to consciously plantarflex more quickly whilerunning. However, improving running performance in this manner can beslow and tedious and possibly ineffective. Accordingly, there is a needfor athletic equipment that can improve proprioception and activelyincrease plantarflexion, for instance, to thereby increase runningperformance.

SUMMARY

An article of athletic equipment for a wearer with a foot and a legincluding a knee joint is disclosed. The article of athletic equipmentincludes an article of footwear operable to secure to the foot. Theequipment also includes a knee coupling member that is operable tosecure to the leg about the knee joint. The knee coupling member isoperable to extend superiorly and inferiorly about the knee joint.Moreover, the equipment includes a biasing member that is coupled to thearticle of footwear and the knee coupling member. The biasing memberbiases the article of footwear relative to the knee coupling member tobias the foot toward plantarflexion relative to the leg to increaseproprioception of the foot relative to the leg.

A method of proprioceptive training using an article of athleticequipment having an article of footwear, a knee coupling member, and abiasing member is also disclosed. The method includes securing thearticle of footwear to a foot and securing the knee coupling member to aleg superiorly and inferiorly about a knee joint thereof. Moreover, themethod includes biasing the article of footwear relative to the kneecoupling member using the biasing member to bias the foot towardplantarflexion relative to the leg to increase proprioception of thefoot relative to the leg.

Still further, an article of athletic equipment for a wearer with a footand a leg including a knee joint is disclosed. The article of athleticequipment includes an article of footwear operable to secure to thefoot. The article of footwear includes a heel portion, an upper, and asole assembly that is operably coupled to the upper. The equipmentfurther includes a knee coupling member that is operable to secure tothe leg about the knee joint. The knee coupling member includes asuperior strap that extends across a superior portion of the knee jointand an inferior strap that extends across an inferior portion of theknee joint. The superior and inferior straps are separated at adistance. Moreover, the equipment includes a resiliently flexiblebiasing member that is fixed to the article of footwear adjacent theheel portion. The biasing member is also fixed to the inferior strap ofthe knee coupling member. The biasing member extends along a posteriorside of the leg along a longitudinal axis of the leg to bias the foottoward plantarflexion relative to the leg to increase proprioception ofthe foot relative to the leg. The biasing member includes a resilientlyflexible first portion, a resiliently flexible second portion, and abuckle that adjustably couples the first and second portions together.The buckle is adjustable to vary a tension of the biasing member.

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not acomprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. The description and specific examples in this summaryare intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only ofselected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of athletic equipment for proprioceptivetraining according to various exemplary embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the athletic equipment of FIG. 1 shown in astanding position;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the athletic equipment of FIG. 1 shown in aplantarflexed position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the athletic equipment according tovarious additional exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the athletic equipment of FIG. 4 shownin a dorsiflexed position.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-3, an article of athletic equipment 10 isillustrated according to various exemplary embodiments of the presentdisclosure. As shown, a wearer 11 (user) can wear the equipment 10 onhis or her respective leg 13 and foot 15. As will be discussed, theequipment 10 can increase plantarflexion of the foot 15 relative to theleg 13 to advantageously increase proprioception of the foot 15 relativeto the leg 13 and to advantageously improve running performance (e.g.,acceleration, top speed, etc.)

In the embodiment shown, separate articles of athletic equipment 10 areshown worn on both the right and left legs 13; however, it will beappreciated that the article of athletic equipment 10 can be worn aloneon either of the right and left legs 13. The equipment 10 worn on theright leg 13 will be explained in detail; however, it will beappreciated that the equipment 10 worn on the left leg 13 can besubstantially similar.

As shown, the equipment 10 can include an article of footwear 12. Thefootwear 12 can be of any suitable type for fitting to the foot 15 ofthe wearer 11. For instance, the footwear 12 can incorporate many of thefeatures of a shoe, boot, sandal, or other types of footwear 12. Assuch, the footwear 12 can include an upper 14. The upper 14 can includeone or more sheets or panels of material that are interconnected todefine a cavity that receives the foot 15. Also, the upper 14 caninclude laces, buckles, pile tape, or other suitable types of means ofsecuring the upper 14 to the foot 15.

In addition, the article of footwear 12 can include a sole assembly 16that is operably coupled (e.g., lasted) to the upper 14. The soleassembly 16 can generally include an outsole for providing traction anda midsole for providing cushioned support for the wearer 11.

Moreover, the article of footwear 12 can include one or more tractionelements 18, such as cleats or spikes. The traction elements 18 can beremovably or integrally coupled to the sole assembly 16 and canpenetrate the ground surface in order to further increase traction forthe wearer 11.

Still further, the article of athletic equipment 10 can include a kneecoupling member 20 that operably couples to a knee joint 21 of the leg13. The knee coupling member 20 can include an anterior portion 22 thatextends over and substantially covers the anterior portion of the kneejoint 21. The anterior portion 21 can be a flexible sheet of materialand, in some embodiments, the anterior portion 21 can be resilientlyflexible. The anterior portion 22 can also include a hole 24 that can becentered on the knee cap of the knee joint 21.

Furthermore, the knee coupling member 20 can include a superior strap 26that is fixed at each end to the anterior portion 21 and that extends(i.e., wraps) about the posterior portion of the knee joint 21, superiorto a rotational axis of the knee joint 21. On the other hand, the kneecoupling member 20 can also include an inferior strap 28 that is fixedat each end to the anterior portion 21 and that extends (i.e., wraps)about the posterior portion of the knee joint 21, inferior to thebending axis of the knee joint 21.

The straps 26, 28 can each be flexible, and in some cases resilientlyflexible. Also, the straps 26, 28 can be integrally connected to theanterior portion 22 or, in other embodiments, the straps 26, 28 can beremovably coupled to the anterior portion 22.

It will be appreciated that the knee coupling member 20 can be coupledabout the knee joint 21 in a very secure manner. This is because theknee coupling member 20 extends superiorly and inferiorly about the kneejoint 21. As such, the knee coupling member 20 can articulate within theknee coupling member 20, and the knee coupling member 20 is likely toremain secured to the knee joint 21. Furthermore, the hole 24 receivesthe knee cap of the knee joint 21 such that the knee coupling member 20remains centered on the knee joint 21, even while the knee joint 21articulates.

Furthermore, the equipment 10 can include a biasing member 30. Thebiasing member 30 can be elongate so as to extend between the article offootwear 12 and the knee coupling member 20. Moreover, in someembodiments, the biasing member 30 can include a first portion 32 and asecond portion 34. At least one of the first and second portions 30, 32can be resiliently flexible. For instance, in some embodiments, each ofthe first and second portions 30, 32 can be an elastic band. The firstportion 32 can be coupled to the footwear 12 adjacent a heel portion 33or other portion of the article of footwear. The second portion 34 canbe coupled to the inferior strap 28 or other portion of the kneecoupling member 20. The first and second portions 32, 34 can be coupledto the footwear 12 and the inferior strap 28, respectively, viastitching, adhesives, tape, or any other manner. Also, the biasingmember 30 can include an adjustment member 36 that can operably couplethe first and second portions 30, 32 and can be adjustable to vary abiasing load of the biasing member 30. In other embodiments, the biasingmember 30 can extend continuously between the article of footwear 12 andthe knee coupling member 20 and is not adjustable.

In some embodiments, the adjustment member 36 can be a buckle 38. Assuch, both the first and second portions 30, 32 can be operably coupledto (e.g., cinched to or looped around) the buckle 38 such that the firstand second portions 30, 32 are in tension. To increase the amount oftension in the biasing member 30, the first and/or second portion 30, 32can be cinched tighter around the buckle 38, and to reduce the amount oftension in the biasing member 30, the first and/or second portion 30, 32can be released partially by the buckle 38. Accordingly, by changing theoverall free length of the biasing member 30, the tension therein can bechanged. It will be appreciated that the adjustment member 36 can be ofany type other than the buckle 38. For instance, the adjustment member36 can be pile tape (e.g., VELCRO™) for releasably and adjustablycoupling the first and second portions 30, 32.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the biasing member 30 can extend along alongitudinal axis X of the leg 13 along a posterior side 39 of the leg13, substantially parallel to the Achilles tendon (not specificallyshown). Furthermore, as mentioned above, the biasing member 30 can bepre-tensioned so as to bias the footwear 12 and the knee coupling member20 toward each other.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the equipment 10 can be worn while the wearer11 moves, such as while running. As such, the article of footwear 12 canbe positioned in a standing position (FIG. 2), in which the foot 15 andfootwear 12 is substantially perpendicular to the axis X of the leg 13,and the article of footwear 12 can also be positioned in a plantarflexedposition (FIG. 3), in which the foot 15 and the footwear 12 areplantarflexed (i.e., at an obtuse angle) relative to the leg 13. In someembodiments, the biasing member 30 remains in tension in both thestanding position (FIG. 2) and in the plantarflexed position (FIG. 3) ofthe footwear 12. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the biasing member 30remains in tension throughout the entire range of motion of the footwear12.

Accordingly, when the footwear 12 is in the standing position (FIG. 2),the biasing member 30 can have an overall length L and can be in anelevated state of tension. Then, when the foot 15 is lifted (FIG. 3),the biasing member 30 can resiliently shorten to length L′ and bias theheel portion 33 toward the knee coupling member 20, thereby facilitatingearlier plantarflexion of the foot 15 and footwear 12 than would occurnaturally without the equipment 10. Accordingly, while running, the foot15 and the footwear 12 can be biased toward plantarflexion relative tothe leg 13 every time the foot 15 and footwear 12 are lifted from theground surface. As such, the wearer 11 is more likely to run on his orher toes.

By wearing the equipment 10 repeatedly over an extended period of time(e.g., several weeks or months), the wearer 11 can benefit due toresultant proprioceptive training. More specifically, by wearing theequipment 10 while running, the biased plantarflexion will eventuallytrain the muscles to plantarflex the foot 15 more quickly during therunning movement. Eventually, this increased plantarflexion can occursubconsciously, even without wearing the equipment 10. Thus, the runningperformance of the wearer can be improved.

It will also be appreciated that the equipment 10 can provide better fitand comfort for the wearer 11. For instance, even though the biasingmember 30 biases the footwear 12 and the knee coupling member 20 towardeach other, both the footwear 12 and the knee coupling member 20 arelikely to remain in their respective intended positions. For instance,the footwear 12 is likely to remain secured to the foot 15 because thefootwear 12 can be secured about substantially the entire foot 15.Likewise, the knee coupling member 20 is unlikely to slide down the leg13 because the knee coupling member 20 is secured superiorly about theknee joint 21, and despite articulation of the knee joint 21, the kneecoupling member 20 can remain secured superiorly about the knee joint21.

Additionally, the biasing member 30 can be conveniently adjusted to varythe tension therein. As such, the proprioceptive training can be variedusing the adjustment member 36 as discussed above.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the article of athletic equipment 110 isillustrated according to various additional exemplary embodiments of thepresent disclosure. Components that are similar to the embodiments ofFIG. 1-3 are indicated with corresponding reference numerals increasedby 100.

As shown, the equipment 110 can include an article of footwear 112. Theequipment 110 can also include a cuff 140 that extends continuouslyabout and encircles the leg 113 (FIG. 4). The cuff 140 can be separatedat a distance from the article of footwear 112 and can be sufficientlytightened about the leg 113 so as to be secured thereto. In someembodiments, the cuff 140 can be disposed inferior to the knee joint 121(FIG. 4); however, in other embodiments, the cuff 140 can be disposedsuperior to the knee joint 121.

The equipment 110 can further include a biasing member 130 similar tothe embodiments discussed above. In the embodiments shown, the biasingmember 130 can be a continuous elastic band that extends between thefootwear 112 and the cuff 140.

Moreover, the equipment 110 can include an anterior member 142 that isoperably coupled to both the footwear 112 and the cuff 140. The anteriormember 142 can extend along and substantially cover an anterior portion143 of the leg 113 (FIG. 4). Also, the anterior member 142 can besubstantially rigid. As such, the anterior member 142 can hold the cuff140 separated from the footwear 112 and keep the biasing member 130 intension. As an added bonus, the anterior member 142 can protect theanterior portion 143 of the leg 113, similar to a shin guard for asoccer or football player.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, the footwear 112 can be dorsiflexed todecrease the angle a relative to the leg 113. As such, the leg 113 canpush against the anterior member 142, and tension in the biasing member130 can increase. As described above, once the footwear 112 is liftedoff the ground surface, the biasing member 130 can bias the footwear 112toward plantarflexion. Thus, similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 1-3,the equipment 110 of FIGS. 4 and 5 can improve proprioception.Furthermore, the equipment 110 can securely fit to the leg 113 and foot115 such that the equipment 110 can have sufficient comfort and canremain in position over the range of motion of the leg 113 and foot 115.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features ofa particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particularembodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be usedin a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described.The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to beregarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modificationsare intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of proprioceptive training using anarticle of athletic equipment having an article of footwear, a kneecoupling member, and a biasing member, the method comprising: securingthe article of footwear to a foot; securing the knee coupling member toa leg superiorly and inferiorly about a knee joint of the leg; andbiasing the article of footwear relative to the knee coupling memberusing the biasing member to bias the foot toward plantarflexion relativeto the leg to increase proprioception of the foot relative to the leg.2. The method of claim 1, wherein biasing includes lifting the foot froma ground surface to bias the foot toward plantarflexion.
 3. The methodof claim 2, further comprising running to bias the foot towardplantarflexion.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting atension of the biasing member to adjust the biasing of the article offootwear relative to the knee coupling member.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein adjusting the tension includes adjusting a first portion of thebiasing member relative to a second portion of the biasing member tochange a length of the biasing member.
 6. The method of claim 4, whereinthe biasing member is resilient and flexible, and wherein adjusting thetension includes changing a length of the biasing member.
 7. The methodof claim 1, further comprising extending the biasing member along alongitudinal axis of the leg along a posterior side of the leg.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising extending the biasing member froma first area on the knee coupling member to a second area on the articleof footwear.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second area isdisposed on a heel portion of the article of footwear, and whereinextending the biasing member includes extending the biasing member fromthe first area to the heel portion of the article of footwear.
 10. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the knee coupling member includes a superiorstrap that extends across a superior portion of the knee joint and aninferior strap that extends across an inferior portion of the kneejoint, and wherein the first area is disposed on the inferior portionand is spaced apart at a distance from the superior strap, and whereinextending the biasing member includes extending the biasing member fromthe inferior strap to the second area on the article of footwear.
 11. Amethod of proprioceptive training using an article of athletic equipmenthaving an article of footwear, a knee coupling member, and a biasingmember, the method comprising: securing the article of footwear to afoot; securing the knee coupling member to a leg superiorly andinferiorly about a knee joint thereof; extending the biasing memberbetween a heel portion of the article of footwear, along a longitudinalaxis of the leg, along a posterior of the leg, to the knee couplingmember; and biasing the article of footwear relative to the kneecoupling member using the biasing member to bias the foot towardplantarflexion relative to the leg to increase proprioception of thefoot relative to the leg.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the kneecoupling member includes an inferior strap and a superior strap, whereinsecuring the knee coupling member includes securing the inferior strapto the leg, inferior to the knee joint, wherein securing the kneecoupling member includes securing the superior strap to the leg,superior to the knee joint, wherein extending the biasing memberincludes extending the biasing member from the heel portion of thearticle of footwear to the inferior strap of the knee coupling member.13. The method of claim 11, further comprising adjusting a tension ofthe biasing member to adjust the biasing of the article of footwearrelative to the knee coupling member.
 14. The method of claim 13,wherein adjusting the tension includes adjusting a first portion of thebiasing member relative to a second portion of the biasing member tochange a length of the biasing member.
 15. The method of claim 13,wherein the biasing member is resilient and flexible, and whereinadjusting the tension includes changing a length of the biasing member.16. The method of claim 11, wherein biasing includes lifting the footfrom a ground surface to bias the foot toward plantarflexion.
 17. Themethod of claim 16, further comprising running to bias the foot towardplantarflexion.
 18. A method of proprioceptive training using an articleof athletic equipment having an article of footwear with a heel portion,a knee coupling member with an inferior strap and a superior strap, anda biasing member, the method comprising: securing the article offootwear to a foot; securing the inferior strap of the knee couplingmember to a leg inferiorly relative to a knee joint of the leg; securingthe superior strap of the knee coupling member to the leg superiorlyrelative to the knee joint; extending the biasing member between theheel portion of the article of footwear to the inferior strap of theknee coupling member, the biasing member extending along a longitudinalaxis of the leg and along the posterior of the leg, the biasing memberbeing separated at a distance from the superior strap; and biasing thearticle of footwear relative to the knee coupling member using thebiasing member to bias the foot toward plantarflexion relative to theleg to increase proprioception of the foot relative to the leg.
 19. Themethod of claim 18, further comprising adjusting a tension of thebiasing member to adjust the biasing of the article of footwear relativeto the knee coupling member.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein thebiasing member is resilient and flexible, and wherein adjusting thetension includes adjusting a first portion of the biasing memberrelative to a second portion of the biasing member to change a length ofthe biasing member.